


Not Dreaming

by artemisdaye



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Ash is jealous, Kissing, M/M, Minor Angst, PTA Dad Eiji, Parents, Shorter Wong Lives, Stay At Home Dad Ash, Valentines Exchange, aged up fic, but Ash wears crocs, chocolate making, idk who death is, theyre like 30 and happy, valentines day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-27 23:37:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17776385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artemisdaye/pseuds/artemisdaye
Summary: Ash gets it. His husband is a grade A hottie and super sweet to boot.But if these PTA nobodies don’t back the fuck off he’s gonna have to show these nobodies who Eiji loves most.My Valentines Day Exchange gift for (Maximus) @itachees !





	Not Dreaming

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Itachees](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Itachees), [Maximus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maximus/gifts).



> Hey what’s up y’all! So this is my gift! It did not start out as this. But writing Ash as like super jealous- and unwilling to communicate about it- just didn’t make any sense. So it became vaguely jealous Ash showing how tender and soft he really is for the people he loves. 
> 
> I kinda wanted to include everyone and everything, but I think for now this is good. But if I ever expand there will be loads more Maya and loads more Yue teaching Maya how to tend to plants and poison people.
> 
> Check out my fic Terminal and scream at me on the comments if you wanna.

Look. If you told seventeen year old Ash Lynx that by 30 he’d be relaxing poolside while his husband and daughter made valentine’s chocolates inside their Hamptons summer home. He’d have shot you. 

As it is, 30 year old Ash Lynx is sitting poolside while his Husband and sweet baby make something delicious in their sunny kitchen. He’s wearing crocs.

It was warm for February. For New York. 

A sudden burst of heat sweeping up the eastern coast from who knows where. Pushing New Yorkers into their closets and drawers. Scrambling for something lighter than the heavy coats and stern winter boots that were pulling them through the season. Convincing certain Japanese men to plan a last second weekend trip to their summer home in Amagansett. 

It’s nothing much, considering the usual scale of homes in the area. But it’s equidistant from the beach and the shopping green so Eiji can walk with Maya instead of begging a ride with him or Sing or Shorter. 

Their place is all windows and sunlight; the kitchen looks right out over the pool. The tree line is thick and private and the fence is large. Secure enough that the deer that plague the peninsula can’t make it into their yard. It’s just a little cottage that Ash bought on a whim one summer before they had Maya. A place for he and Eiji to escape to when their anxieties started to spiral, or a safe house for one of the guys who was still struggling to climb out of the scene. 

Fuck, the stove was still scarred from the six months Yut Lung and Sing had spent there studying for their ACTs and SATs and officially getting a GED. Ash is still skeptical about how Sing and Yut Lung became their responsibility after all the Fox drama blew over. But his goddamn bleeding heart husband had insisted they take those dangerous birds under their wings, “cause they were ‘babies’ and needed help.” Plus the idea of sending Yut Lung to a typical American high school gave everyone a headache. 

But they’d done it; Ash was finally able to get back to lazing poolside and occasionally helping Max on some story. (But usually he only did this when Eiji went on a photography trip with Ibe) Ash had tried going with Eiji on the trips, but sitting around holding your boyfriend's camera bag and Absolutely getting in the way of everyone and everything loses its shine after about uhh.. six hours. He’s developed ‘hobbies’ to keep him busy during his missing Eiji hours.

It’s easier now that they have Maya and he can fully fall into his role of homemaker. Not that he’s really good at cleaning or cooking… but he is the house dad! And Eiji gets to be the PTA dad! Cause Eiji’s more diplomatic… So maybe Ash had threatened to stab Maya’s preschool ‘ yoga instructor’ cause she didn’t ask for permission before correcting Maya’s downward dog, but that’s basic courtesy Tiffany it’s 2019. Don’t touch people without asking. Tiffany. 

 

Ash stared happily into his little house, with his little husband and his little baby daughter and knew he was the luckiest motherfucker on the fucking planet. 

The problem was… while the Hamptons house did mean getting to wear his favorite shoes (the red crocs) and seeing Eiji in those little swim trunks Ash liked to buy him. It also meant company. 

Eiji didn’t know how not to host. They barely got through a weekend where Eiji wasn’t plotting some sort of family dinner or outing the involved every goddamned dangerous person they knew. Like uh, wake up Eiji, stop inviting ex gang leaders over for Sunday dinner with your baby!! 

Cain making the best goddamn Paella in the universe does not excuse him of his past sins. ( although his son is always very delicate and sweet with Maya, and his wife makes Eiji blush in the best sort of way ) 

Speaking of women making Eiji blush, the goddamn PTA hounds would be arriving soon. And god forbid Eiji ever do anything halfway cause their house was about to become a -straight out of Japan- Valentine’s Day shojo manga chocolate making chapter. Maya and her classmates are five! They don’t have anyone to confess to. 

Ash’s eyes flirted back to Eiji's form in the window once more. He had Maya up on the counter while he fed her little treats of chocolate nibs and babbled happily. He looked handsome. With his newly cropped haircut and those big eyes. A light T-shirt that he’d borrowed from Ash’s closet that fit a bit snuggly around his toned arms. Fuck. Ash’s mouth went dry. 

Those moms were always fluttering around his husband. 

“ Oh, Eiji, you’re such a good dad. You never miss a single meeting.”

“ Oh, Eiji, you always bring the best treats for the bake sale, can I come over and steal your recipe.” 

Like back the fuck off ladies, he’s gay! 

And if Eiji has heard that he’d have quietly corrected him with a soft, “ Bi, actually.”

And that was the trouble of it all. 

Cause while most of the moms were just fine at best, Eiji had gone and made best friends with one of the prettiest women Ash had ever met. 

She was composed of this, intense powerful energy that his husband always seemed to attract. Outrageously curly brown hair, caramel skin. The woman had a body that shouldn’t exist, and eyes that let you know she knew how much pressure to use when stomping on a man’s crotch so that he’ll like it. Martina had moved here from Italy with her husband and latched onto Eiji like a lifeline. And Maya and Poppy - Martina’s daughter - got on like wildfire. Leaving Ash to watch as this Italian dominatrix hung off his husband semi weekly. Coming over for coffee or play dates, strolling in like a breeze, no worry in the world! She and Eiji giggling into their wine when their English started deteriorating and neither could remember the English words for practically anything. 

Didn’t her husband worry about the absolute Jewel that had been stealing his wife away so often? Didn’t Eiji worry about how he, a delicate and beautiful soul, might respond to Eiji giving literally any human but him and Maya attention? 

Apparently not!

So yes, maybe Ash was sulking, but he was also fully prepared to saunter back into the house in about an hour, and pull Eiji into the sauciest kiss of his fucking life in front of Susan and Barbara and Melody and Blake and Martina. And show them just who Eiji's husband was. Tiny swim trunks and all. ( he’d leave his crocs at the door probably, but hadn’t decided if it was more of a power play to leave them on.) 

It was all just a matter of time. 

 

It didn’t take long for the sounds from the kitchen to start filtering back out to him. Peels of tiny laughter and soft voices reminding him just how many people were coming. 

It was sorta cute to watch his husband create a fictional battle ground on the journey to being class parent of the year. And he tried to let the easy joy of Susan stealing Eiji's shortbread recipe being the biggest drama of this year help him relax.. but then he heard the clicking of Martina’s heels, and Poppy’s distinguished “ CIAO MAYA,” and Maya’s, “ Chōshi dō Poppy!?” And Ash knew to get battle ready. 

It was easy to fill the room with his own energy, Sauntering across the sun warmed tiles towards the wide open kitchen door. Every eye in the room turning towards him as he stepped through and smiled warmly to the group of women and children. They parted before him as he crossed over to his sweet husband and pulled him into his arms. He peered around at all the mixing bowls and chocolates and plastic setting trays shaped like hearts and smiled warmly at his daughter. 

Eiji eyed him as if he knew exactly what kind of trouble he was up to. 

“ Still too cold for a swim,” Ash said nuzzling into Eijis neck. “ had to come in and warm up.” He trailed little kisses on Eiji's neck and eyed the women around as if to dare them to interfere. 

Catching Martina’s, Ash made sure to note the way she frowned. Well good, get the picture lady. And despite Eiji's giggling and gentle protests, Ash did as he planned and stole a wonderful kiss from his love. 

Even he felt a little breathless after. His husband would be mortified when his faculties returned to normal.. but gosh, that was nice. 

“ Happy Valentine’s ladies and Blake.” Ash snuck one last kiss on Eijis nose, “Let me know if you need any help babe.” 

Ash swooped Maya into a quick hug and left the room to find something warm to wear. He was fucking cold!

 

———-

 

All things considered it went well. His house was full of happy children and parents. He currently was building a massive tower with several industrious children who understood the meaning of strong defensive outer walls. Shorter, who’d shown up about an hour ago, mad as hell that they’d left the city without telling him, was currently tossing bouncy balls at their defenses with the help of Maya and Poppy. The sun was setting, and Eiji had lit a small fire out on the patio for him and the moms and Blake to sit around and drink wine near. 

He wasn’t sure if he was pleased about it, but he had noticed that Martina, who always seemed to float through these sort of things like the queen of Egypt, had lost her usual sheen of confidence. Instead, she was tucked into Eiji's side on their patio sofa. Ash did not like that at all. Especially considering how he’d just let that woman know that Eiji was Not! Available! And why was Eiji letting her lean on him like that! 

Shorter, who was fully aware of Ash’s feelings towards Martina, hit him in the head with a bouncy ball. 

“ Stop being a freak dude, you’ve got your murder eyes on, you’re scaring the kids.” 

Ash eyed the chubby boy next to him, he did look a little scared. 

“ Sorry Jeremy.” 

Jeremy shivered a little, “ Its okay Mr. Maya’s Dad.” 

Shorter snorted, and Ash tried to sooth the tension out of his shoulders. 

“ Let’s grab a beer dude, the kids got this.” 

“ Yeah Dad,” Maya chirped, tossing another bouncy ball at his head. “ You’re kinda interrupting Kid Time.” 

Shorter full out laughed at that, and pulled Ash up off the floor and over towards the kitchen. 

“ Maya, I’m borrowing your dad!” 

“ Have fun Uncle Shorter!” She called after. 

Ash knew they’d be fine, the doors fully opened to the patio so that everyone could see what was going on in both directions, but he was still struggling with the whole - she’s five and deserves a little independence thing. 

Shorter handed him an Allagash White from the fridge before grabbing one of his own. 

“ Still got it in for the Italian?” 

“ I just don’t get why she has to hang off him like that.” 

Shorter looked out towards the group and smiled a little. 

“ Eiji takes care of people Ash, he’s got too much love to give for you to hoard it all.” 

Ash huffed, but felt his shoulders droop. 

“ I don’t know why I get like this.” It was a sigh of an admission. But shorter already had him, pulling him into some sort of half hug that jostled his beer. 

“ It’s cause you don’t love yourself enough to know that Eiji would die before he let anything ever get in between the two of you.” 

Ash sighed into the hug, stupid fucking Shorter was fucking right. 

“ So much time, and still, I’m not sure if it’s real.” Shorter rubbed a small circle into his back. 

“ It’s super real buddy. You’ve got a fucking kid man.” 

“ Fuck.” 

Shorter pulled out of the hug and tilted his head back towards the window again, “ She is like, super fucking killer though huh. Gotta say, Eijis a fucking saint to not be looking down her top with the way she’s..” Ash whacked Shorter on the head and stormed out of the kitchen. 

“ You’re such an Ass!” 

Shorters laughter followed him back into the living room. 

Ash found himself leaning against Eijis patio seat, like a dog at his master's feet, while Martina sat in his spot at Eiji's side. 

It certainly helped that Eiji was running his hands gently through his hair, and had fully included them in their conversation about the upcoming Spring Play the upper school was putting on. Martina, listlessly commenting here or there, but mostly sipping on her wine and allowing Eiji to refill her glass often and without question. 

“ It’s okay if Poppy and Martina spend the night tonight right Ash?” Ash’s head snapped up and locked eyes with Eiji. 

“ Why?” It was cold and curt and not a question more as a ‘no, and what the fuck.’ Martina’s face flushed and Eiji sent him a withering glare. 

“ Because it’s too late to go back to the city and Blake's husbands parents are in town. Plus,” Eiji winked at Martina, “ our place is much more fun than theirs! It’ll be a big sleepover!” 

Eiji's face was so open and happy and honest, and Martina’s so cool compared to normal. He didn’t want to say yes, but well. The way Eiji tugged lightly on his hair let him know he had to comply. 

“ Yeah, we’d be happy to have you.” 

Eiji placed a little kiss on his head, and Ash watched as Martina physically flinched at the affection. His eyes narrowing to study the woman. What was wrong with her? 

They stared each other down for a moment, while Eiji, distracted by a yell from the house, hustled over to check on the kids. Everyone else too busy with their own conversations to notice the quickly building tension between the odd pair. 

“ Eiji's a good man. You’re lucky to have someone like him.” 

“ I’m the luckiest man on earth.” Ash agreed quickly. 

She sighed and nodded, turned to look back towards the house. “ Would you, can we go for a walk?” 

Ash felt his body tense, why would he?

“ Eiji mentioned,” she crumpled a little, quickly shooting back the rest of her glass, her hand briefly dusting over her wrist. A large bangle shifted and Ash’s entire body tensed at what he saw underneath. “ He mentioned that you might be familiar with my situation..”

Oh.. oh fuck. 

“ Do you want to grab a sweater first?”

“ No.”

 

Ash and Eiji's property was nice, but open. Not really proper for a private walk. So instead, Ash led Martina through the side gate and down a sloping path that led to the beach. Little solar lights adding a nice ambiance to an otherwise dark and forested lane. The smell of spring forcing its way through the frost was comforting. And even though the breeze picked up the closer they got to the shore, Ash didn’t feel cold. 

He and Martina made the trek quietly, she clearly needed a chance to collect her thoughts. Ash needed time to re-evaluate his behavior towards the woman. To acknowledge the tiny flower of shame that had bloomed in his chest. 

Eventually the path widened and the sound of the ocean lapping against the beach joined the other nighttime sounds. 

A bright moon illuminating the thin strip of sand and the vast body of water. 

They sighed at the same time, and Ash couldn’t help the quirk of a smile as he acknowledged the woman. They found an old log to sit on. It wasn’t glamorous, but it would do. Together he supposed they made it look quite exciting, they were both beautiful. Even if he was in crocs. 

“ I befriended Ejji because I thought he was like me.” 

Ash jerked his head towards her. Away from the peaceful vista. It wasn’t the first time someone had thought such a thing. 

“ But I was wrong. I don’t think I’ve ever been so wrong.” Martina’s hands fisted around her ankles. 

Bent over and crouched into herself she seemed frail. 

“ I saw the way you two interacted and how .. scary.. you were and I thought, oh maybe we can help each other. I was projecting. Looking for anything to hold onto. New country, new language, new everything. And he wasn’t like this until we got here. But now what is there for me to do?” 

Ash watched as Martina’s hands reached up to her scalp and rubbed. He’d seen her do it before. Noted it as a nervous tick. 

“ If he kills me, who will protect Poppy? I could go back to Italy, but I don’t have family. He would find us.” A shudder wracked through the woman. “ I like New York. Despite it all, there’s so much that I love here. My baby loves it here.” 

Her voice cracked, and on instinct Ash reached out and pulled her hands away from her head and onto one of his own raised scars. The one near his heart. Their eyes met. 

“ I didn’t want to leave New York either.” Martina’s hands stroked the length of the scar with trembling hands. She didn’t look him in the eye. “ I was a kid, and I was stubborn. I didn’t even know I could have a life where,” he motioned to the scar, “ where this wasn’t my everything.” 

Martina nodded a little, throat bobbing wildly as little tears gathered. 

“ But I met Eiji, and he. He wouldn’t accept that for me. He taught me how to hope, he gave me dreams. And it took years for me to understand, and my abuser died before I could even come to terms with the idea that I had the power to just leave it all. But I got there, I got here.” 

Ash grabbed Martina’s trembling hands and held them tightly. 

“ You were right. I am scary. And I’m jealous, I’m so afraid. Still. That none of this is real and I’m still there.” 

Martina’s face filled with dread, but Ash stopped her thoughts with a tight squeeze. “ We won’t accept this for you. Eiji and I, we’ll fight to keep you safe. Tell us what you need, when to move. We will get you out. And someday you’ll wake up and wonder if it’s real, and if you’re safe. And the answer will be yes. And we’re gonna get you there.” 

It was a sharp inhale, and then Martina was collapsed into him sobbing. Telling him how afraid she was, how hard it was, how painful. And Ash listened and rubbed her head a little as she spilled the story of her abusive husband and her isolated life, and Ash fell in love with Eiji all over again as he listened to how Eiji had been helping in his own way these past months. He also felt the familiar stirrings of rage, the inherent violence that sat in his soul and waited for when people hurt those who were his. 

And when Martina was finished and the shuddering stopped Ash knew that he’d never let anyone hurt her or Poppy ever again. 

 

Ash felt a familial tug as he watched Martina shake herself back into shape as they walked up the path. Clever tricks to snap her mask back into place. He still offered to make sure the coast was clear before sneaking her back in through the side door. 

He didn’t want any of the other parents to see her so vulnerable. 

He walked Martina to the guest bedroom she and Poppy would be staying in, and gave her a hug before leaving her to her own thoughts. 

When he turned, Eiji was there, at the end of the Hall with a worried look. Ash crossed to him quickly and wrapped his arms around the man. His own body betraying him at last as he felt his own trembling take over. 

“ Maya?” Ash asked. 

“ Shorters watching the girls, I sent everyone else home.” 

He nodded and stuffed his face into Eiji's neck inhaling his smell. His essence. 

“ How long have you known?” 

Eiji rubbed warm hands across his back, snuggling into his husbands warm embrace. 

“ Just a few days, that night last week where I came home so late.” 

Ash nodded, “ I thought.. I don’t know why I got so jealous.” 

Eiji chuckled a little, “ Sometimes even geniuses are very dumb.” Placed a little kiss on Ash’s head. 

“ Lets get everyone to bed and then we can talk a little more. I know your brains already cooking up a wonderful plan to help them.” Eiji nuzzled Ash's head till he was looking at him, “Just don’t… shoot the man okay?”

He felt himself scoff, “ No promises.” 

Eiji smiled brightly and gave him another kiss, this time on the cheek, “ Well I’m going to chop off his dick, so let’s start with that at least.” 

Ash felt himself shudder and pulled his husband tighter, “ Mmm, I love it when you talk like this.” 

Eiji nodded and patted his shoulder lightly, pulling back. 

“ You tell me if it’s too much for you okay. Martina needed you tonight, but If its too much for you I need you to tell me right away.” 

Ash nodded and pulled Eiji back in for one last shuddering hug. 

“ I love you so much.”

“ Forever, Ash.” 

 

—

 

Eiji and Martina cooked breakfast together the next morning. Ash was both relieved and ashamed to notice all those feelings of jealousy had disappeared. How the way the two interacted was anything but sexual. 

He’d been stupid. 

Wasn’t the first time. 

It was easy to relax into the environment. Into watching his beautiful baby tossing blueberries into Shorters mouth while Poppy screeched with giggles. Watching Eiji, flour smeared across his cheek, debate nutrition with Martina. 

Yes, honey was as healthy as it gets when it comes to sugar things, but pancakes need maple syrup and Eiji's a monster for suggesting any alternative. 

So, maybe now his family included a flirty and entirely too attractive Italian woman and her adorable daughter. 

He’d never been able to keep Eiji all to himself anyways. 

Ash reached across the table and pulled Maya into his arms. Placing a hundred kisses across her head and face while she giggled and screeched to escape. It didn’t take much to pull Poppy in and do the same to her. 

His beautiful husband smiled from his spot by the window. Sun streaming down, lighting him up. Ash was so gone for the man. 

His life was so different from how it had been when they fell in love. His soul was so filled, so much bigger. Ash pulled Maya a little closer and pressed another soft kiss on her head. 

He’d wake up tomorrow and he’d wonder if he was safe, if this was real. 

It was.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, they have sex in the shower before bed. Lol. 
> 
>  
> 
> Also also, Maximus, if you made it this far I also wrote a Naruto AU for you??? I’m still working on it.. Cause it also kinda evolved into its own thing. But I’ll @ you when it’s finished lol. 
> 
> Cool cool, okay bye y’all.


End file.
